About Us

Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of CAS (XIOPM), established in 1962, is one of the largest institutes of CAS in Northwest China. After innovation course over the past more than 50 years, it has developed into one of comprehensive research base with basic research for strategic hi-tech innovation and application as main sector.

The main research fields of XIOPM cover basic optics, space optics and photoelectric engineering, and main research directions include transient optics, photonics theory and technology, space optics remote sensing technique, interference spectrum imaging theory and technology and photoelectric information technology. The Institute has one national key laboratory and two CAS key laboratories, namely State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics, CAS Key Laboratory of Ultrafast Diagnosis Technology, and CAS Key Laboratory of Spectral Imaging Technology. In addition, the Institute also boasts a complete set of technical support system consisting of several research units, testing center and system engineering department.

Now the Institute has 919 staff members including 345 senior researchers, in which there are 103 with senior professional titles, 1 CAS academician, 1 IEAS academician, more than 10 state-level experts, 3 in National Excellent Talents Program and 13 in National Recruitment Program of Global Experts (“Thousand-Talent Program”); 14 in CAS “Hundred-Talent Program”, 2 winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and 1 winner of the National Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars. A few famous scientists such as Gong Zutong, Hou Xun, Xue Mingqiu and Niu Hanben, et al. as academicians have come from XIOPM.

Since the 11th Five-Year Plan, the Institute, taking reform, innovation, serving development and building innovative country as its mission, has undertaken and successfully completed multiple national major tasks such as lunar exploration project, won 3 special-class awards, 1 first award and 4 2nd awards of the National Award for Science and Technology Progress and 36 awards at provincial and ministerial levels. In 2010, two achievements were chosen as “Top 10 Events in Space Remote Sensing of China”; in 2011, the Institute won CAS award for outstanding achievement; in 2012, one achievement was chosen as “Top 10 Science and Technology Progresses of China”. In 2010, the Research Fellow Zhao Wei won High-Speed Imaging Gold Award, the top one in international high-speed imaging and photonics field, making him another Chinese scientist winning the award after 29 years since it was first won by Gong Zutong, a member of the CAS academic division, and presenting XIOPM’s international influence in high-speed imaging and photonics field.

XIOPM is one of first-batch Doctor and Master cultivation units authorized by the Academic Degrees Committee under the State Council, and now has two postdoctoral research centers for physics and optics, 4 first-class disciplines (7 majors)’s doctor cultivation points for physics, optical engineering, electronic science and technology, and information and communication engineering, 6 first-Class disciplines (9 majors)’s master cultivation points for physics, optical engineering, electronic science and technology, information and communication engineering, material science and engineering, and control science and engineering, and 4 professional master cultivation points for optical engineering, electronic and communication engineering, control engineering and material engineering. Currently there are more than 460 students in the Institute. XIOPM dispatches scholars and graduates to US, UK, Canada, Japan and Australia, etc. every year. In 2014, it concluded an agreement with US University of Rochester to jointly train graduates.

XIOPM keeps close contact with international academic circle. Many international famous scientists such as Nobel Prize winners Chen Ning Yang, Tsung-Dao Lee and Samuel Chao Chung Ting have come to the Institute for visits and lectures. The Institute has also cooperated with Italy to establish the “Joint Laboratory for Ultra-fast Photonic Network and Communication” and with UK University of South Wales to establish China-UK joint research center for micro-nano photonics, and established joint laboratories respectively with Xi’an Jiaotong University and Northwest Polytechnical University, etc.

In recent years, XIOPM, following the philosophy of facing world S&T frontier, national major demands and main field of national economy, and of driving development through innovation, has boldly innovated in S&T system and mechanism, demolished “enclosure”, run open institute, explored “talent + technology + service + capital” four-in-one S&T achievements industrialization and service mode, and built the first angel fund focusing on S&T pioneering and the first incubation base on “hard science” in the Northwest China; jointly built collaborative innovation project demonstration base for photoelectric incubation with Xi’an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone and the leading technology research institute for photoelectronic integrated circuit in cross-industry and cross-region manner, and established “pioneering research institute” in Shenzhen as a pilot research organization for system and mechanism reform to provide an platform for domestic and overseas outstanding talents to innovate, pioneer and strive for dreams. By November 2015, the Institute has incubated more than 70 hi-tech enterprises, created more than 3,000 jobs and initially established laser equipment and manufacture cluster, photoelectronic integrated circuit chip industry cluster and people’s livelihood and health industry cluster. In addition, the Institute has also been listed as “CAS Pilot Unit for S&T Achievement Transformation” and “Shaanxi Pilot Unit for Building Innovative Province”, and won the title of “State-level S&T Enterprise Incubator”. The incubated enterprises have developed products only or indicator-leading in many fields such as “world thinnest barometer and world first visible-depth vein viewer”, etc., and the “ultra-fast laser micro-processing equipment” has won the silver award in the 16th Industrial Exposition. The carbon fiber T800 project has won the first award in the First Innovation and Pioneering Competition of China 2012 and three other incubated enterprises have reported good record in the Third Innovation and Pioneering Competition.

Since 2010, many leaders at national, provincial and association levels including Jia Qinglin, former member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and CPPCC Chairman, Li Keqiang, then member of the standing Committee of the Political Bureau and Vice Premier of the State Council, Zhao Leji, then Party Secretary of Shaanxi Province, and Chen Xi and Shang Yong, secretaries of two-session party leadership groups of China Association for Science and Technology, etc. have paid special visits to the Institute for survey and inspection and fully affirmed the Institute’s achievements in S&T cause development and achievement transformation.

In July 2014, Zhao Zhengyong, Party Secretary of Shaanxi Province, came to the Institute for inspection and expressed high appreciation of the Institute’s practice of enclosure-free, open operation, breaking S&T system and mechanism and innovative S&T achievement mode and the effect. He specially invited Zhao Wei, director of the Institute, to introduce the Institute’s reform and innovation experience in collective study meeting of the central group for members of standing committee of Shaanxi province. In the provincial government work report, Lou Qinjian, governor of Shaanxi province, also clearly pointed out to “actively copy XIOPM’s S&T innovation mechanism”.

On February 15, 2015, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of CPC Central Committee, paid a visit to XIOPM, as the first top leader to the Institute in more than 50 years after its establishment, leaving great honor to the Institute. General Secretary Xi thought “XIOPM has made helpful exploration and trial in S&T achievement transformation”, and pointed out that core technologies will never come from charity but must be self-independent.

As a new force and backbone in China’s S&T innovation, XIOPM will follow requirements of General Secretary Xi and the Institute’s Party Organization, further emancipate the mind, cohere forces, deepen reform, and comply with principles of CAS to intensify responsibility for and confidence in innovation, so as to make more, real contributions to realizing four-first requirements and goal, building innovative country, and achieving goals of two 100th anniversaries and the China Dream for great renewal of the Chinese nation.